I'm struggeling to accept hell

[Coliseum]

3 minutes ago, DustyRoad said:

The only thing I wasn't understanding clearly was the disposition of those (who are not Satan, for example) who are cast into the lake of fire. That's it. Why is that so difficult to understand?

It's a good question. I recall seeing a movie where a man was given a mask. When he put it on, he could see into all of those faces walking along the street---which were normal and which were evil. In the same way, we do not see the heart of so many who will be left behind; only God can. I am content to rest in that.

[Coliseum]

1 minute ago, DustyRoad said:

That's quite alright. I get the impression from more than one member here that I'm not welcome. By all means, make light of the struggles other face. Laugh about it and make jokes. This tempts me to wrath and so I'm doing the sensible thing: getting away from this clambake. 

Dusty, don't feel that way, and my response to you was in no way meant for you to feel offended. My response had nothing to do with your feelings; I simply do not have or know an answer to your question. If I have offended you, I sincerely apologize.

[Dennis1209]

48 minutes ago, Alive said:

Do you believe that fear of hell saves sinners? If so, how does that work?

In some people, absolutely. All people have a mechanism that is more effective reaching them. Some, love; some appreciation; some fear. There's a secular prison TV program called "Scared Straight". Some when they see the conditions and environment of what their fate is before it's too late, will see the light and repent; and change their lives. They will accept the standards to keep them out of such a horrible and punishing place. There are different degrees of punishment, pain and isolation in various prisons here on earth. Eternal spiritual separation and punishment can be understood much in the same way I believe.

Fear can be a great motivator in many things [i.e. child raising, going to prison, going to Hell]. Knowing the eventual punishment and judgment when it catches up to you can and does persuade and change attitudes and lives. Do you believe there are certain things you're capable of doing here in the US,  that can send you to punishment [penitentiary] for the rest of your life? If the Governor of that state you committed that crime in offered you a pardon, why would anyone refuse the pardon? 

As there are different degrees of rewards and responsibilities for Christian service; there are different and varying degrees of punishment [levels of Hell] for non-believers and the acts they committed in the flesh. 

[frienduff thaylorde]

1 hour ago, DustyRoad said:

You know, when I read your post I get the feeling that you're taking jabs at me. I highlighted it. Does that make you feel better to put others down? I'll forgive you but that doesn't change my impression of you one iota. Back to ignore-dom you go.

We  must  mature up .   put on the whole armour o GOD .  Be encouraged dusty .  

 

Edited December 17, 2019 by frienduff thaylorde

[InChristAlways]

On 12/13/2019 at 8:21 PM, ReneeIW said:

Just so you know, there are LOTS of pastors and theologians who do not believe in Hell. You are not required to believe in Hell to be a Christian. And if you were, then God would reveal that truth to you because you are now His child. 

Where did the doctrine of eternal "hell"originate from? There is only 1 Bible version that does not use that word, YLT. Rather it uses the actual Greek word the 1st century OC Hebrew Jews would have been familiar with, "Gehenna".

http://www.eliyah.com/lexicon.html

https://www.blueletterbible.org/search/search.cfm?Criteria=hell&t=YLT#s=s_primary_0_1

There are no concordance results for "hell" in the YLT.

See results of "hell"  from these other Bibles:

54 results in the KJV 32 results in the NKJV 17 results in the NLT 13 results in the NIV 14 results in the ESV 11 results in the CSB 13 results in the NASB 16 results in the NET 13 results in the RSV 13 results in the ASV 12 results in the DBY 49 results in the WEB

You can also browse through the various dictionaries.

 

https://www.blueletterbible.org/search/search.cfm?Criteria=gehenna&t=YLT&ss=1#s=s_primary_0_1

"gehenna"
occurs 12 times in 12 verses in the YLT.

===================================

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gehenna

Gehenna is a small valley in Jerusalem. In the Hebrew Bible, Gehenna was initially where some of the kings of Judah sacrificed their children by fire.^[1] Thereafter, it was deemed to be cursed (Book of Jeremiah 7:31, 19:2–6).^[2]

In rabbinic literature, Gehenna is a destination of the wicked.^[3] This is different from the more neutral Sheol/Hades, the abode of the dead, although the King James Version of the Bible usually translates both with the Anglo-Saxon word "hell".

In the King James Version of the Bible, the term appears 13 times in 11 different verses as Valley of Hinnom, Valley of the son of Hinnom or Valley of the children of Hinnom.

The Valley of Hinnom is the modern name for the valley surrounding Jerusalem's Old City, including Mount Zion, from the west and south. It meets and merges with the Kidron Valley, the other principal valley around the Old City, near the southeastern corner of the city.

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Edited December 17, 2019 by InChristAlways

[frienduff thaylorde]

You all know what time it is ,    Time to praise and dance unto the LORD .

Oh let the LORD be praised .   

[Willa]

On 12/13/2019 at 5:58 PM, Ineedhugs said:

For the last 6 months I've been a christen but after about 10 days of being faithful and sinless I get these strong feelings that hell is just insane and there couldn't possibly be one. That leads to losing my faith temporarily because then I can't trust what the bible says. How can I stay faithful the rest of my life?

Like how could a loving god brutally torture people just cos they had sex or didn't believe in him or they get drunk etc. It's not rational to care so much about those things let alone torture them for eternity. It's hard for me to accept this. If i can't accept hell then why believe anything in the bible you know?

A guy called Bill wiese apparently went to hell for 23 minutes and tries to bring the world to repentance after his experience. He has youtube videos and he said that the reason hell is justified is because who you wrong determines the severity of punishment. Like if I punch my (male) friend its wrong, if I punch my mother its much worse and if I punch the queen its FAR worse. Since god is infinitely greater than us in position then sins against him are worthy of eternal punishment. Like if you bashed the queen of England you would probably be put to death, and you can say but I only bashed her, normally you just get 3 months jail for that....well you would still get put to death.

While I can see what Bill is saying I still have a hard time accepting it. I could never put someone through that especially for 'little sins' that most good people do. Isn't the right thing to give little things little punishments? If someone heard about Jesus but didn't believe because of reasons that made sense to them shouldn't you be understanding as long as they weren't bad people? I thought these are universally the 'right thing'.

I want to be a perfect Christian but these strong gut feelings keep making me lose faith.....any ideas on how to help?  

Everyone deserves hell but Jesus.  God demands that we be perfect and only Jesus fulfilled that demand.  You are not a Christian because you didn't sin.  You become a Christian because you are a sinner so you need God's help and mercy.  The help He gave was to send Jesus to take the blame and punishment for your sin.  So all you were was self righteous if you thought that not committing  certain sins made you a Christian.  It doesn't.

The guy who said he had gone to hell was probably lying through his teeth.  That is not how it works.  The only people who don't go to hell are the ones who depend on Jesus.  It doesn't matter if you think that is fair or logical.  That is how it works.  

If you judging God's word to be untrue then you are calling God a liar.  

Joh 3:16  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Joh 3:17  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

Joh 3:18  "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Joh 3:19  And this is the condemnation, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than Light, because their deeds were evil.

Joh 3:20  For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the Light, lest his deeds should be exposed.

[Blood Bought 1953]

1 hour ago, Dennis1209 said:

In some people, absolutely. All people have a mechanism that is more effective reaching them. Some, love; some appreciation; some fear. There's a secular prison TV program called "Scared Straight". Some when they see the conditions and environment of what their fate is before it's too late, will see the light and repent; and change their lives. They will accept the standards to keep them out of such a horrible and punishing place. There are different degrees of punishment, pain and isolation in various prisons here on earth. Eternal spiritual separation and punishment can be understood much in the same way I believe.

Fear can be a great motivator in many things [i.e. child raising, going to prison, going to Hell]. Knowing the eventual punishment and judgment when it catches up to you can and does persuade and change attitudes and lives. Do you believe there are certain things you're capable of doing here in the US,  that can send you to punishment [penitentiary] for the rest of your life? If the Governor of that state you committed that crime in offered you a pardon, why would anyone refuse the pardon? 

As there are different degrees of rewards and responsibilities for Christian service; there are different and varying degrees of punishment [levels of Hell] for non-believers and the acts they committed in the flesh. 

 

There may be  other ways to become a Believer, yet, one wise preacher said.... “ANYTHING to  get them in!”

Fear Of a Certain Hell —One That was well-deserved —certainly was a strong and effective Motivator for  this wretched Lad......The Unsaved need to be warned and woken up to the fact that they are headed for Hell like a speeding bullet ......Rest in the Gospel Of 1cor15:1-4 and any and all concerns in regard to Hell can become moot......Jesus really does save.... 

[Blood Bought 1953]

 

Sounds Great, but it is not Scriptural ......Here’s something that will save you to the  UTTERMOST and is actually to be found in the Bible! It ain’t called “ Good News” for no reason! Here is what you do to be saved after the Cross — in this present Age Of Grace. After Jesus ascended into Heaven, He took Paul as the “ Chosen Vessel” to proclaim the Things Of God that had been hidden since the Beginning Of time. Jesus taught Paul in the Sinai Desert for three years.  One -On-One.Of course Jesus instructed Paul in regard to how one gains Salvation.This was the Golden Opportunity for Jesus to say absolutely anything and EVERYTHING to be declared “ fit for Heaven” by God. He personally told Paul to pass on to us to simply BELIEVE that He ( Jesus) died for our sins and rose from the Grave on the third day.....That was “ IT”. No mention of “ living right”, although that is a wise thing to do, certainly! No mention of trying to “keep the Commandments , although that is a wise thing to do, certainly! No mention of REPENTANCE for sins, In the sense of being sorry for a sin and trying your best not to do it again and fearing if you NEGLECT to do this before you die you will go to Hell, although it is a wise thing to be sorry for sins and to try not to repeat them again, certainly! If these things are mandatory in order to be saved, why did Jesus not mention them?

Quite to the contrary , He warned us not to add ANYTHING to His Gospel Of Grace.Add to what He “delivered to Paul”and you are “ fallen from Grace” and “ Severed from the Cross”. Wow. Sounds serious to me. Also, If you are caught TEACHING  that any kind of “ works” must accompany The Gospel ALONE that God ORDERED us to REST in you will be Accursed .....Damned by God.....

Repentance is a natural and great thing In the Life Of The Believer.....it is a natural Fruit of the Spirit— an important part of God’s conforming us into the image of His Son— the POINT of human existence.Preach “ repentance” at the top of your Lungs! Just don’t add it to the Gospel as a condition to get saved or STAY saved—- it’s gonna get you in BIG trouble!

The “ Repentance” that is essential to Salvation is the “ Mind Change” ( from the Greek Word “ metanoia” )  whereby you turn to God from unbelief in Jesus and His Gospel to BELIEF in Jesus and His Gospel that ALONE makes us “fit for Heaven ”.May God give us His Wisdom in these matters. God bless.

 

[Blood Bought 1953]

Of course the answer is “ YES”......I’ll  answer your other inquiry in due time.....I have addressed it so many times , it’s hard to work up the enthusiasm to respond ......Retirement has  ruined  me....I am a lazy man ....lol..